US report is genuine reflection of Guyana’s efforts to counter narcotics’ operations – Jagdeo

Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday described the latest United States (US) 2025 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) as a largely accurate reflection of Guyana’s intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and money laundering, despite some criticisms which he linked to past governance failures.
Speaking at his weekly press conference, Jagdeo stressed that while elements of the report draw from outdated assessments — notably issues from 2019 — the sections highlighting Guyana’s strengthened international cooperation and enforcement actions offer a fairer representation of the country’s current realities.
“A lot of the concerns raised about real estate fraud, gold smuggling, human trafficking, and contraband, originate from the 2019 report during the previous APNU+AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Administration,” Jagdeo pointed out. He emphasised that licensing weaknesses in the financial sector, fake sales agreements, and cross-border smuggling methods cited in the latest report were issues that predated the current Government.

The VP said he was unsurprised by political commentators attempting to sensationalise the report, but urged the public to consider the full picture.
“Some are jumping up, like Sherod Duncan and others, without realising much of the report points to their own failures in office,” he said. “The report also acknowledges our cooperation with the United States, and our success in major drug interdictions.”
Jagdeo pointed to specific achievements, such as the joint seizure by US and Guyanese authorities in 2024 of 4.4 tonnes of cocaine worth nearly US$195 million—the largest in Guyana’s history.
He also noted that Guyana’s 2022–2026 National Drug Strategy focuses on interdiction, prevention, treatment, and anti-money laundering, reflecting a more serious and structured approach.
According to the INCSR, Guyana’s collaboration with the international community saw it launching the National Defence Institute (NDI). This was established with the aim of building security expertise through Guyana’s collaboration with CARICOM and US security and defence institutions.
The US State Department report spoke of Guyana’s National Drug Strategy 2022-2026, which it noted laid out strategic programmes that have been set up to guide not only Guyana’s drug fight, but also anti-money laundering efforts, to ensure the proceeds of the drug trade are not integrated into the formal economy.
The report acknowledged that these efforts have also resulted in increased drug seizures throughout last year, particularly of cocaine. As much as 6,700 kilograms (kg) of cocaine were seized for the period of January to September 2024 – a large increase compared to 62 kg that were seized during the same period in 2023.
“In 2024, the United States and Guyana’s Joint Interagency Task Force, including its Defence Force, collaborated to seize 4.4 Metric Tonnes (MT) of cocaine worth approximately $195,000,000 – the country’s largest ever drug seizure,” the report stated.
The report also noted “the interception of a self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) approximately 150 miles off the coast of Guyana with 2.3 MT of cocaine. Authorities also found a low-profile vessel (LPV), empty and abandoned in the waterways near Port Kaituma, near the Venezuelan border.”
Meanwhile, a total of 1.4 MT of marijuana was seized last year, versus the 1.1 MT that was seized during the same period in 2023. While more cocaine than marijuana was seized in Guyana, the report notes that marijuana remains a more prevalent drug when it comes to domestic use in Guyana.